Not Applicable
Not Applicable
There is a need for an improved press device for compressing and evacuating liquids away from canned tuna without getting the liquids on ones body or clothes. The present invention relates to an improvement to a press device for forcibly evacuating liquid from canned tuna and the like. Although it can be used for any number of foods, its most preferred use is with the 6 oz and 12 oz cans of tuna.
When canned tuna is opened, it is common practice to partially or fully drain off the packing fluid before eating the tunaand Most people squeeze out the liquid by first opening the can and then pushing the severed lid down in the can with their fingers or thumbs while holding the can upside down. This procedure exerts forces on the lid primarily at the two finger engaging points and forces the liquid out between the severed lid and inside of the can causing the odorous staining liquid to squirt on the user and user""s clothes. The direct pressing of the severed lid with exposed fingers can also cause injury to the user. Furthermore getting the lid out of the can after pressing is time consuming and can result in injury. Prior art, which tried to solve these problems, include U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,544 issued December 1976 to Farley, which suggests a cup-like utensil having a cylindrical wall conforming to the internal diameter of a standard can for squeezing and straining tuna; U.S. Pat. No. 5,372,063 issued December 1994 to Berg, which claims a press with a body member comprising: imperforate wall, a lid engaging surface for maintaining the lid in a flat plane at right angles to the axis of the can during the pressing operation, and telescoping movement of the device relative to a can; U.S. Pat. No. 5,706,721 issued January 1998 to Holmes, which suggests a perforated disc sized to fit snugly inside an open can; U.S. Pat. No. 5,902,481 issued May 1999 to Schwietert, which suggests a molded plastic strainer device sized to fit into an open can of tuna; U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,870 issued May 2000 to Strauss, which suggests a plate matching the inner contour of a container. The prior art referenced does not successfully address the need for a cost-effective press device that prevents canned liquids from coming into contact with the user""s body or clothes during pressing.
According to the present invention we provide a flexible press for draining liquid from canned food which is somewhat the reverse of that shown by Farley, Berg, Holms, Schwietert, and Strauss but not precisely so. Some of the prior art describes a device that fits inside the can and performs the pressing function from that interior position. Berg""s device claims a body with an imperforate wall. This is opposite of our design as the central body section of our device is perorated with a through hole. Also, Berg claims an unfixed device in relation to a can, whereby the can and device make equal and opposite movements telescoping and reverse telescoping. Again this is opposite to our design as the outer retaining band of our press is sized to encompass the outside of the tuna can and holds the press in place by a friction fit. Further, our design does not claim to incorporate the ability to maintain the lid in a flat plane at a right angle to the axis of the can during pressing as suggested by Berg. It is obvious to any person having ordinary skill in said subject matter that the telescoping movement of Berg""s device in relation to the can, and it""s ability to maintain the lid in a it plane at right angles to the axis of the can, require that the device be made of non-flexile material. If the device was made from flexible material it would bend and fold making it impossible to maintain the lid in a flat plane at right angles to the axis of the can. Importantly the positioning of the pressing device of the present invention so that it encompasses the outside edge of the can with a friction fit provides for the liquid being contained within the pressing device and the user having complete control while the liquid is channeled out the through hole opening thereby eliminating the possibility of the canned liquid coming into contact with the user""s body or clothes. Once more this is opposite of Berg, as Berg""s device does not contain, channel, or control the liquid; instead it allows an undesirable, uncontrollable flow of liquid out between the can and the imperforate wall.
Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the type described that accomplishes the pressing operation with the severed lid remaining in the can, the lid forming a part of the pressing structure.
Another object of the invention is to provide a press of the type described that utilizes a suction cup as a part of the press to retrieve the severed lid after the pressing operation is completed.
Other objects are to provide a press of the type described that eliminates contact of the contents of the can with the fingers or the hands to prevent the odorous material from getting on the person""s hands and/or clothing and that reduces to a minimum the possibility of injury to the user.